Cushion boot



Feb. 5, 1963 F. SCHLECHT CUSHION BOOT Filed April 11, 1961 United States Patfiiififice 3,0762M Fatented Feb. 5, 1963 3076274 CUSHION ROST Frederick H. Schlecht, Paxtou, Mass. assgmr m H. H.

Bmwn Shoe Company, Inc., Wrcestcr, Mass., a cm:- poration of Massachusetfis Filed Apr. 11, 1961, Ser. N0. 192,229 4 Ciaims. (Cl. 36-54) The present invention 1elates to boots and shoes and more particularly to an ankle length or higher boot provided With cushioning means to increase its comfort.

Higher lcngth shoes such as Walking boots and Werk shoes, particularly those cf the blucher type which are closed by a gusset and lacing, tend to be uncomfortable at points under the eyelets or hooks which receive the lacing and at the back of the heel due to the force exerted 011 the hooks or eyelets, by the lacing, partielllarly in the case of hooks, as the lacing tends to rock the hooks and cause them to dig into the foot.

An object of the invention is to provide a boot er shoe closed by lacing which is more comfortable than boots and shoes of prior known constructions.

A further object is to provide a laced boot er shoe of the type closed by lacing and having a gussct which is more comfortable at the instep and ank1e than the known constructions.

A further object is to provide a laced boot which is more comfortable at the back of the heel.

Other objects and advantages of t-he invention Will becomc apparent from the following dcscription of a presently preferred embodiment cf the invention, wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawing in which,

FIG. 1 is a freut elevation of the boot;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation;

-FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view on 1ine 3-3 of FIG. 2, and

FIG. 4 is an exploded view showing details of C011- struction of the gusset and gussct liner.

T'he boot sclected f01 purpose cf illustration cornprises a conventional sole 2 and an uppar indicated generally at 4. In the illustrative shoe the upper is of the blucher construction Wherein the two quarters 6 extend forwardly over the Vamp and are left free of attachement at their forward edges. Bach quarter 6 is provided along its forward edge with the conventional selies 0f hooks 8 im reccption cf the conventional lacing to secure the shoe 011 the fut. A conventional backstay 1 is provided at the back of the upper.

The front 0f the upper is closcd by the gusset 12 Which is securecl to the upper by stitching 14 along its side and bottom margins, the side margins bcing turned forwardly to lie flat against the quarters adjacent their forward edges so that the gusset folds upon itse.f as the shoe is laced up.

'Ihe inner face of the guss'et is largely covered by a gusset liner 16 stitched around its margin to the gusset.

In accordance with the invention I provide a cushion liner 18 between the gusset 12 and the gusset liner 16 in a positien to underlie the hooks 8 a1: each sich: of the gusset and to extend across the gusset at positions CO1- responding approximately to the uppermost and the lowermost lacing. As shown to the bcst advantage in FIG. 4, the cushion liner 18 is in the form cf a sheet cf soft spongy, compressioie material having its central portion at 29 cut away so that the cushion liner comprises side portions 22= a top portion 24 and a bottom portion 26. The cushion liner 13 is assernbled With the gusset 12 and gusset linear 316 to lie therebetween, as appears in FIG. 4, and is sccured in osition between inner and outer lines of stitching 28, 30 respectively, passing through the gusset and the gusset 1iner adjacent the inncr and outer margins respectively of the cushion liner 18. The cushion liner 18 is so locatcd on the gusset that, as appears in FEG. 1, its' side portions 22 underlie the lines of hooks 8 when the boot is closed by the lacing, and preferably so that its upper portion 24 underlies the uppermost lacing and its lower portion 26 underlies the lowermost lac- T0 further increase the comfort of the boot, I provide a backstrip comprising a layer 32 of a soft, spongy, compressible material underlying the backstay 10 and disposed between the backstay and the quarter lining 34. This layer 32 may extend from a point adjacent the so1e to a point we1l above thc heel.

As the material for th cushion liner 1 8 and the backstrip 32 I may use any soft, compressible, spongy material such as polyurethane foam or other foamed synthetic or natural resins or rubbers.

W1rile a preferred embodirnent of the invention has been shown and described for purposes of illustrafion, various modifications thereof may occur to those skillcd in the art, and thereforc it is not intended that the invention be limited thereto, and departures may be made therefrom within the spirit and scope cf the invention as defined in the claims.

I clairn:

1. A shoe having a sole and an upper, said upper being provided with a front opening adapted to be closed by lacing, and including a backstay and a quarter linear inside said backsizay, hooks for the reception of said lacing secured to said upper along the side margins of said open ing, a gusset secured to said upper along thc side and botto1n cdges of said opcning and disposed to undcrlie portions cf the edges cf said opening to Which said hooks are secured, a gusset 1iner sccured to said gusset and extending, over at least a portion of the inner surface of said gusset, a cushion 1iner of a soft, spongy, compressible material secured in p1ace between said gusset and gusset liner in a position to underliesaid hooks and the uppermost and lowermost lacings, and a layer of a soft, spongy, compressible material disposed between said backstay and said quarter iiner.

2. A shoe having a sole and an uppcr, said upper bcing provided With a front opening adaptcd to be closed by lacing, hooks for the reception of said lacing.secured to said upper along the side margins of said opening, a gusset securcd to said upper along the side and bottom cdges of said opening and disposed to underlie portions cf the edges cf said opening to which said hooks are secured, a gusset linear secured to said gusset and extending over a least a portion of the inner surfaccof said gusset, and a cushion liner comprising a sheet cf. a soft, spongy, compressible material, said shcet having its central portion cut away and being secured in place between said gusset and said gusset 1iner in a position to underlie said hooks and thc uppcrrnost and lowermost lacings.

3. A shoe having a sole and an upper, said upper being provided with a front opening adapted to be closed by lacing, and including a backstay and a quarterliner inside said backstay, means on said uppcr along the side margins of said opening for the reception of said lacing, a gusset secured to said upper along the side and bottom edges of said opening and disposed to underlie said means, a gusset liner secured to said gusset and extending over at least a portion cf the inner surface of said gusset, a cushion 1iner of a soft, spongy, compressible material secured in place between said gusset and said gusset liner in a position to underlie said means and at least the uppermost and the lowermost of said lacings, and a layer of a soft, spongy compressible materi al disposed between said.

provided with a closable front opening adapted to be closed by 1acing, means in said npper along the side margins of said opening for reception of said lacing, a gnsset secnred to said npper a1ong the side and bottom edges of said opening and disposed to nnderlie said means, a gnsset liner secnred to said gnsset, and a cushion liner comprising a sheet of soft, spongy, compressible material having its central ortion cnt away and being secnred in place between said gusset and said gnsset1iner in a position to nnderlie said means and to extend across the gusset at least at a position corresponding approximately to the nppermost lacing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Holland Jan. 17, 1905 Bnck Nov. 25, 1919 Julian Nov. 26, 1926 Holmes May 9, 1933 Martin Aug. 26, 1941 Hard Inne 30, 1942 Ma1lnk Inne 17, 1947 Demick May 23, 1950 Everston Dec. 18, 1951 Laird et a1 Inne 8, 1954 

1. A SHOE HAVING A SOLE AND AN UPPER, SAID UPPER BEING PROVIDED WITH A FRONT OPENING ADAPTED TO BE CLOSED BY LACING, AND INCLUDING A BACKSTAY AND A QUARTER LINER INSIDE SAID BACKSTAY, HOOKS FOR THE RECEPTION OF SAID LACING SECURED TO SAID UPPER ALONG THE SIDE MARGINS OF SAID OPENING, A GUSSET SECURED TO SAID UPPER ALONG THE SIDE AND BOTTOM EDGES OF SAID OPENING AND DISPOSED TO UNDERLIE PORTIONS OF THE EDGES OF SAID OPENING TO WHICH SAID HOOKS ARE SECURED, A GUSSET LINER SECURED TO SAID GUSSET AND EXTENDING OVER AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID GUSSET, A CUSHION LINER OF A SOFT, SPONGY, COMPRESSIBLE MATERIAL SECURED IN PLACE BETWEEN SAID GUSSET AND GUSSET LINER IN A POSITION TO UNDERLIE SAID HOOKS AND THE UPPERMOST AND LOWERMOST LACINGS, AND A LAYER OF A SOFT, SPONGY, COMPRESSIBLE MATERIAL DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID BACKSTAY AND SAID QUARTER LINER. 